Ted Kaouk, chief data officer at the Department of Agriculture, has been appointed to lead the recently established federal CDO council, Nextgov reported Wednesday.
The council should consist of CDOs representing each federal agency that employs such an officer, and will work to guide the government's use of data. The federal government established the CDO Council in alignment with the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act that aims to help the government make better decisions with data.
Kaouk contributed four years of military service to the U.S. Navy as a surface warfare officer, a role through which he oversaw communications systems, computer networks and damage control activities aboard a ship. He joined USDA in 2011 to serve in the department's chief information office where he eventually landed the role of CDO.
“His cross-agency leadership with recent efforts to share resources across agencies demonstrated his commitment to the objectives of the CDO Council," said Suzette Kent, the federal chief information officer and a 2020 Wash100 Award recipient.
